Basarnas Divers Recover Another Victim from KM Virgo Transport 8, Bringing Death Toll to 13

Hope has been restored for the families of the KM Virgo Transport 8 victims. A team of divers from the Basarnas Special Group (BSG) has discovered one victim inside the hull of the sunken ship in the waters of the Java Sea, South Kalimantan.

The victim was found on Monday, 21 September 2026, at approximately 14:24 WITA, while BSG divers were conducting a sweep of the interior of KM Virgo Transport 8.

This discovery provides a glimmer of hope in the ongoing search operation. Following the discovery, the victim was immediately evacuated for medical handling and further identification processes.

The Head of Basarnas, M. Syafii, emphasised that the search operation will continue in an effort to find other victims believed to still be inside the ship.

“We will not stop. Every discovery is part of our effort to provide certainty to the families. The team will continue to conduct the search to the maximum extent possible, while naturally prioritising the safety of the divers,” he stated.

The diving operation is part of the ongoing joint SAR (Search and Rescue) operation. The BSG team continues to sweep the interior of KM Virgo Transport 8 to search for victims who may still be trapped within the vessel.

Basarnas has ensured that all personnel will continue to be deployed throughout the search process, while remaining mindful of the conditions and safety of the divers performing underwater operations.

To date, a total of 121 people have been found. Of that number, 108 individuals have been declared safe and 13 have died. There are still 122 people missing from the total of 243 recorded on the KM Virgo Transport 8 manifest since it departed from Surabaya, East Java, bound for Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on 12 September 2026.